Triaxially braided strap and methods for braiding triaxially braided strap

ABSTRACT

A triaxially braided strap includes a plurality of axial strands and a plurality of longitudinal strands including a first boundary strand and a second boundary strand. Each strand of the plurality of axial strands is routed, in a repeating pattern and in the following order: under the first boundary strand; around the first boundary strand; between respective portions of a pair of axial strands that are routed between the first boundary strand and the second boundary strand; under the second boundary strand; around the second boundary strand; and between respective portions of a pair of axial strands that are routed between the second boundary strand and the first boundary strand.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/485,869, entitled “Triaxially Braided Strap and Methods for BraidingTriaxially Braided Strap,” filed Sep. 15, 2014, which issued as U.S.Pat. No. 9,242,593 on Jan. 26, 2016, and which claims priority of U.S.provisional application Ser. No. 61/903,933, filed Nov. 13, 2013, andhereby incorporates each of these applications herein by reference intheir entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The systems and methods described below generally relate to the field oftriaxially braided straps. More particularly, the systems and methodsrelate to triaxially braided straps that include a plurality of axialstrands and a plurality of longitudinal strands.

BACKGROUND

Some conventional tension support members include longitudinal strandsthat bear at least some of the tension applied to the tension supportmembers.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, a triaxially braided strap comprisesa plurality of axial strands, a first boundary strand, a second boundarystrand, a first interior longitudinal strand, and a second interiorlongitudinal strand. Each of the first boundary strand, the secondboundary strand, the first interior longitudinal strand, and the secondinterior longitudinal strand are substantially parallel to one another.Each strand of the plurality of axial strands is routed, in a repeatingpattern and in the following order: under the first interiorlongitudinal strand; between respective portions of a first pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the first interior longitudinalstrand and the first boundary strand; over the first boundary strand;around the first boundary strand to at least partially wrap the firstboundary strand; between respective portions of a second pair of axialstrands that are routed between the first boundary strand and the firstinterior longitudinal strand; over the first interior longitudinalstrand; between respective portions of a third pair of axial strandsthat are routed between the first interior longitudinal strand and thesecond interior longitudinal strand; under the second interiorlongitudinal strand; between respective portions of a fourth pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the second interior longitudinalstrand and the second boundary strand; over the second boundary strand;around the second boundary strand to at least partially wrap the secondboundary strand; between respective portions of a fifth pair of axialstrands that are routed between the second boundary strand and thesecond interior longitudinal strand; over the second interiorlongitudinal strand; and between respective portions of a sixth pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the second interior longitudinalstrand and the first interior longitudinal strand. The first interiorlongitudinal strand and the second interior longitudinal strand aredisposed between the first boundary strand and the second boundarystrand. The first boundary strand and the second boundary strand are theoutermost longitudinal strands.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method for braiding atriaxially braided strap is provided. The method comprises routing anaxial strand, in a repeating pattern and in the following order: under afirst interior longitudinal strand; between respective portions of afirst pair of axial strands that are routed between the first interiorlongitudinal strand and a first boundary strand; over the first boundarystrand; around the first boundary strand to at least partially wrap thefirst boundary strand; between respective portions of a second pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the first boundary strand and afirst interior longitudinal strand; over the first interior longitudinalstrand; between respective portions of a third pair of axial strandsthat are routed between the first interior longitudinal strand and asecond interior longitudinal strand; under the second interiorlongitudinal strand; between respective portions of a fourth pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the second interior longitudinalstrand and a second boundary strand; over the second boundary strand;around the second boundary strand to at least partially wrap the secondboundary strand; between respective portions of a fifth pair of axialstrands that are routed between the second boundary strand and thesecond interior longitudinal strand; over the second interiorlongitudinal strand; and between respective portions of a sixth pair ofaxial strands that are routed between the second interior longitudinalstrand and the first interior longitudinal strand.

In accordance with another embodiment, a triaxially braided strapcomprises a plurality of axial strands and a plurality of longitudinalstrands oriented substantially parallel to one another. The plurality oflongitudinal strands comprises a first boundary strand and a secondboundary strand. Each strand of the plurality of axial strands isrouted, in a repeating pattern and in the following order: under thefirst boundary strand; around the first boundary strand; betweenrespective portions of a pair of axial strands that are routed betweenthe first boundary strand and the second boundary strand; under thesecond boundary strand; around the second boundary strand; and betweenrespective portions of a pair of axial strands that are routed betweenthe second boundary strand and the first boundary strand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view depicting a portion of a triaxially braidedstrap in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is side perspective view, shown partially in fragment depicting aportion of the triaxially braided strap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the triaxially braided strap of FIG.1 taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cargo net overlying cargo on a pallet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In connection with the views and examples of FIGS. 1-3, wherein likenumbers indicate the same or corresponding elements throughout theviews, FIG. 1 illustrates a top plan view of a strap 10 in a flat-outstate that is shown to be a triaxially braided strap. The strap 10 canbe provided for use in any of a variety of suitable applications, suchas, for example, as a retention strap, as a tow strap, or as a liftstrap. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the strap 10 can comprise a firstboundary strand 12, a second boundary strand 14, a plurality of pairs ofinterior longitudinal strands (shown as interior longitudinal strands16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30) and a plurality of axial strands (shownas axial strands A-U). Each of the first boundary strand 12, the secondboundary strand 14, the interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22,24, 26, 28, 30, and the axial strands A-U can comprise a bundle offibers. It will be appreciated that general reference to longitudinalstrands herein can be understood to mean each of the first boundarystrand 12, the second boundary strand 14, the interior longitudinalstrands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30.

Each of the axial strands A-U can be routed about the first boundarystrand 12, the second boundary strand 14, and the plurality of interiorlongitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 to form a triaxialbraid. For the purposes of illustration, the routing of axial strand Awill now be described with respect to the remaining axial strands B-U,the boundary strands, and the longitudinal strands to facilitateformation of a triaxial braid.

Beginning at reference number 32, the axial strand A can be routed, in arepeating pattern and in the following order over the length of thestrap 10: over the interior longitudinal strand 18; between respectiveportions 34, 36 of the axial strands Q and R that are routed between theinterior longitudinal strands 16, 18; under the interior longitudinalstrand 16; between respective portions 38, 40 of the axial strands S andT that are routed between the interior longitudinal strand 16 and thefirst boundary strand 12; over and around the first boundary strand 12such that the first boundary strand 12 is partially wrapped by the axialstrand A, between respective portions 42, 44 of the axial strands C andD that are routed between the first boundary strand 12 and the interiorlongitudinal strand 16; over the interior longitudinal strand 16;between respective portions 46, 48 of the axial strands E and F that arerouted between the interior longitudinal strands 16, 18; under theinterior longitudinal strand 18; between respective portions 50, 52 ofthe axial strands G and H that are routed between the interiorlongitudinal strands 18, 20; over the interior longitudinal strand 20;between respective portions 54, 56 of the axial strands I and J that arerouted between the interior longitudinal strands 20, 22; under theinterior longitudinal strand 22, between respective portions 58, 60 ofthe axial strands K and L that are routed between the interiorlongitudinal strands 22, 24; over the interior longitudinal strand 24;between respective portions 62, 64 of the axial strands M and N that arerouted between the interior longitudinal strands 24, 26; under theinterior longitudinal strand 26; between respective portions 66, 68 ofthe axial strands O and P that are routed between the interiorlongitudinal strands 26, 28; over the interior longitudinal strand 28,between respective portions 70, 72 of the axial strands Q and R that arerouted between the interior longitudinal strands 28 and 30; under theinterior longitudinal strand 30; between respective portions 74, 76 ofthe axial strands S and T that are routed between the interiorlongitudinal strand 30 and the second boundary strand 14; under andaround the second boundary strand 14 such that the second boundarystrand 14 is partially wrapped by the axial strand A, between respectiveportions 78, 80 of the axial strands C and D that are routed between thesecond boundary strand 14 and the interior longitudinal strand 30; andover the interior longitudinal strand 30. It will be appreciated thateach of the axial strands B-U of the strap 10 can be routed in a similarmanner as described for the axial strand A, as generally shown inFIG. 1. The axial strands A-U can cooperate with each other to form abasket-weave type arrangement between the longitudinal strands. It isalso to be appreciated that, although the strap 10 is shown to have 21axial strands and 4 pairs of interior longitudinal strands, a strap canbe formed having any of a variety of other suitable quantities of axialstrands and pairs of longitudinal strands. For example, in oneembodiment, a strap can be formed with only one pair of longitudinalstrands (e.g., boundary strands).

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first and second boundary strands12, 14 can define respective longitudinal centerline axes A1 and A2 andeach of the interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30can define respective longitudinal axes A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10.Each of the first boundary strand 12, the second boundary strand 14, andthe plurality of interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26,28, 30 are shown to be generally parallel with each other such that eachof the longitudinal centerline axes A1 and A2 and the longitudinal axesA3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10 are generally parallel when the strap 10is in a flat-out state. The strap 10 is also shown to define a lateralaxis Z1 (FIG. 3) that intersects each of the longitudinal centerlineaxes A1 and A2 of the first and second boundary strands 12, 14. Each ofthe interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 can beprovided in a generally planar arrangement such that a portion of eachof the interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30intersects the lateral axis Z1. The interior longitudinal strands 16,18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 can remain in a generally planar relationshipalong the length of the strap 10, such that the longitudinal strands donot deviate substantially from the lateral axis Z1 as they extend alongthe length of the strap 10. In this regard, the longitudinal strands 16,18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 can be provided in a non-woven relationshipwith the axial strands A-U such that the longitudinal strands aresubstantially devoid of longitudinal crimping. The axial braids A-U canfacilitate retention of the longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26,28, 30 such that the generally parallel and planar relationship amongthe longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 can bemaintained entirely, or at least substantially entirely, along thelength and width of the strap 10. It will be appreciated that thegenerally parallel relationship and the generally planar relationshipsamong the longitudinal strands should be understood to mean therelationship between the longitudinal strands when the strap 10 is laidflat-out, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 (e.g., when a lateral andlongitudinal axis of the strap 10 resides in the same imaginary planeover the width and length of the strap 10, respectively).

Referring again to FIG. 3, each of the interior longitudinal strands 16,18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 can have an upper portion 16 a, 18 a, 20 a,22 a, 24 a, 26 a, 28 a, 30 a and a lower portion 16 b, 18 b, 20 b, 22 b,24 b, 26 b, 28 b, 30 b that are defined by the lateral axis Z1 (e.g.,each upper portion is disposed above the lateral axis Z1 and each lowerportion is disposed below the lateral axis Z1). A portion of each of theaxial strands A-U are routed along the upper portions 16 a, 18 a, 20 a,22 a, 24 a, 26 a, 28 a, 30 a and the lower portions 16 b, 18 b, 20 b, 22b, 24 b, 26 b, 28 b, 30 b of the longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22,24, 26, 28, 30. The portions of the axial strand A-U that are routedalong each upper portion 16 a, 18 a, 20 a, 22 a, 24 a, 26 a, 28 a, 30 acan be substantially parallel with each other. Similarly, the portionsof the axial strand A-U that are routed along each lower portion 16 b,18 b, 20 b, 22 b, 24 b, 26 b, 28 b, 30 b can be substantially parallelwith each other. For example, referring to the portion of the interiorlongitudinal strand 26 shown in FIG. 1, the axial strands F, E, D, C, B,A, U, T, S, R, Q, P, O, N, M, L, K are routed along the upper portion 26a of the interior longitudinal strand 26 and are substantially parallelwith each other. Similarly, the axial strands B, A, U, T, S, R, Q, P, O,N, M, L, K, J, I, H, G are routed along the lower portion 26 b (notshown) of the interior longitudinal strand 26 and are substantiallyparallel with each other.

When the strap 10 undergoes tension, a significant amount of the tensioncan be borne substantially by the longitudinal strands. As a result, thefibers of the first boundary strand 12, the second boundary strand 14,and the interior longitudinal strands 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 canbe selected to have a higher relative tensile strength than the fibersof the axial strands A-U. In one embodiment, the longitudinal strandscan be formed of a fiber having a tenacity of greater than about 15grams per denier (e.g., a high strength fiber) and the axial strands A-Ucan be formed of a fiber having a tenacity of less than about 15 gramsper denier (e.g., a low strength fiber). In one embodiment, thelongitudinal strands can be formed of one or more of an ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber and an aramid fiber. UHMWPEcan be any material resulting in UHMWPE molecules typically havingbetween about 100,000 to about 250,000 monomer units per molecule,examples of which include DYNEEMA and SPECTRA. Some examples of anaramid fiber include KEVLAR, NOMEX and TECHNORA, for example. It will beappreciated however, that each of the longitudinal strands and each ofthe axial strands can be formed of any of a variety of other suitablematerials or combinations thereof.

It is noted that, conventionally, the size and/or quantity oflongitudinal strands incorporated into a tension support member, such asa strap, for example, can be selected based upon the break efficiency(e.g., actual break strength relative to the theoretical break strength)of the longitudinal strands (e.g., strength members) that areincorporated into the tension support member. The lower the breakefficiency of the longitudinal strands, the more longitudinal strandsneed to be incorporated and/or the larger the longitudinal strands needto be to achieve a particular tensile strength, and thus increase thecost to produce the tension support member or strap. Increasing thequantity and/or size of the longitudinal strands can be costly andinefficient and can increase the overall size of the tension supportmember. It is to be appreciated that routing of the longitudinal strandsin the manner described herein can enhance the break efficiency of thelongitudinal fibers. As a result, straps produced in accordance with thesystems and methods described herein can achieve a particular tensilestrength with fewer/smaller longitudinal fibers. Furthermore, suchstraps can be manufactured more cost effectively and efficiently, andcan result in a more lightweight product, than conventionalarrangements.

An example of one such conventional arrangement is a sleeve-shapedarrangement, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,193, which ishereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Thissleeve-shaped arrangement has elongate strands that are routed along thelength of the sleeve and are woven together with helical strands.However, when provided in a strap-like arrangement (e.g., by flatteningthe arrangement), some of the elongate strands overlie the otherelongate strands (e.g., the elongate strands do not have a planar and/orparallel relationship). When these sleeve-shaped arrangements are routedover a non-uniform (e.g., curved) surface, such as when routed over apulley or around a corner of a parcel, the elongate strands furthestaway from the curved surface bear more of the tension and thus are moresusceptible to wear and failure. As a result, when so used, thesesleeve-shaped arrangements can have poor overall break efficiency. Toincrease break efficiency, additional elongate strands can be includedand/or the thicknesses of the elongate strands can be increased toachieve a desired tensile strength, which can be costly, inefficient,and can result in a bulky arrangement.

Referring again to FIG. 1, each portion of the axial strands A-U thatare shown to be routed under and around the first and second boundarystrands 12, 14 can overlap a portion of an adjacent axial strand. Withregard to axial strand A in FIG. 1, for example, a portion of the axialstrand A that is routed under and around the first boundary strand 12can overlap a portion of axial strand B. Similarly, a portion of theaxial strand A that is routed under and around the second boundarystrand 14 can overlap a portion of axial strand B. With each of theaxial strands overlapping adjacent axial strands along the first andsecond boundary strands 12, 14, the axial strands A-U can cooperate toentirely cover (or at least substantially entirely cover) the first andsecond boundary strands 12, 14. The axial strands A-U can accordinglyserve as a protective covering that protects the first and secondboundary strands 12, 14 from abrading/chafing.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the interior longitudinal strands 16 and 30shown to have respective diameters d1 and d2 and the first and secondboundary strands 12, 14 are shown to have respective diameters d3 andd4. In one embodiment, the ratio of each of the respective diameters d3and d4 of the first and second boundary strands 12, 14 to the respectivediameters d2, d2 of the adjacent interior longitudinal strands 16, 30 isless than about 1:2. It is to be appreciated that, by providing thefirst and second boundary strands 12, 14 with smaller diameters than theadjacent inner strands 16 and 30, the overlapping of the axial strandsalong the first and second boundary strands 12, 14 can be achieved.

It is to be appreciated that any of a variety of suitable braidingmethods, currently known or hereafter developed are contemplated formanufacturing the strap 10. In one embodiment, a twist of between about3% to about 5% can be imparted on the longitudinal strands duringbraiding of the axial strands A-U along the longitudinal strands. Such atwist can increase the overall break efficiency of the longitudinalfibers. In such an embodiment, the axial strands A-U can be wound tightenough to maintain the twist in the longitudinal strands once themanufacturing process is complete. In another embodiment, tension can beapplied in a direction opposite to the feed direction of the braidingmachine to the longitudinal strands during braiding of the axial strandsA-U. In such an embodiment, the negative tension can enhance theparallel relationship and/or the planar relationship among thelongitudinal strands described above.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an example cargo net 82 is depicted thatoverlies and facilitates selective securement of cargo 84 to a pallet86. The cargo net 82 can include sections of the strap 10. In oneembodiment, the sections of the strap 10 can be stitched together usingany of a variety of suitable methods. It will be appreciated that thecargo net 82 can be selectively secured to the pallet 86 using any of avariety of suitable releasable fastening methods, such as with clips,fasteners, staples, lashing, or the like. A cargo net formed of thestrap 10 can be more cost effective, lightweight, and efficient thanconventional cargo nets. It will be appreciated that the cargo net 82can be used in any of a variety of cargo applications, such as forsecuring cargo within a cargo bay of a vehicle (e.g., truck orairplane).

EXAMPLES

Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 3 were conventionally formed as wovenstraps while the Inventive Example was formed as a triaxially braidedstrap (as described herein). Each of Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 3 andthe Inventive Example were formed from two different fibers, namely aPolyester fiber (e.g., a polyester-based fiber having a denier of 2600)and a UHMWPE fiber (e.g., an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenefiber having a denier of 1600). Comparative Example 1 included 50 endsof the UHMWPE fibers and no ends of Polyester fibers, and had a width ofabout 0.75 inch. Comparative Example 2 included 35 ends of UHMWPE fibersand no ends of Polyester fibers, and had a width of about 0.4365 inch.Comparative Example 3 included 25 ends of UHMWPE fibers and 25 ends ofPolyester fibers, and had a width of about 0.625 inch.

The average actual break strength for each of the comparative andinventive examples was calculated by measuring the actual break strengthof at least 3 samples of the respective comparative or inventiveexample, and then taking a numerical average. A conventional device,such as an Instron® testing system, was used to measure the actual breakstrength values for each of the respective samples, using techniquesknown to those skilled in the art. The actual break strength wasmeasured in pounds (lbs.).

Next, the theoretical break strength was determined for each of thecomparative and inventive examples using known tensile values for thegiven materials. For each of Comparative Examples the break strength fora single UHMWPE fiber was multiplied by the number of ends of UHMWPEfibers used, and added to the break strength of a single polyester fibermultiplied by the number of ends of Polyester fibers used. For example,for Comparative Example 1, since there were 50 ends of UHMWPE fibers andthe break strength of such fibers was reported as 112.7 lbs. and therewere no ends of Polyester fibers present, the theoretical break strengthwas 5635 lbs. (50×112.7 lbs.=5635 lbs.)

However, since the Inventive Example was formed using the triaxial braidthe theoretical break strength was measured differently. Here, thetheoretical break strength was determined by multiplying the number ofends of UHMWPE fibers (e.g., 2) by the break strength of a single UHMWPEfiber (e.g., 123 lbs.) and then adding this value to the number of plyends of UHMWPE fibers (e.g., 8) by the break strength of one end of fourply UHMWPE fibers (e.g., 434 lbs.). Thus, resulting in a theoreticalbreak strength of 3718 lbs. (2×123 lbs.)+(8×434 lbs.)=3718 lbs.

Once the average actual break strength and theoretical break strengthwere determined, the break efficiency was calculated. The breakefficiency was calculated by dividing the average actual break strengthby the theoretical break strength and multiplying by 100. The breakefficiencies were reported as percentages.

TABLE 1 Comparative Comparative Comparative Inventive Example 1 Example2 Example 3 Example % of strap 26 27 43 47 formed of Polyester fibers %of strap 74 73 57 53 formed of UHMWPE fibers Width of Strap 0.75 0.440.63 0.63 (in.) Average Actual 2717 2513 2755 3540 Break Strength (lb.)Theoretical 5635 3945 4035 3718 Break Strength (lb.) Break Efficiency48.2 63.7 68.3 95.2 (%)

Straps arranged and formed of materials as described herein can havenumerous benefits. One such benefit is the increase in the overallactual break strength of these straps. Actual break strength is ameasure of the durability of the strap under pressure or load. Thehigher the actual break strength the more stress the strap can endure.As noted above in Table 1, the triaxial braid of the strap of theInventive Example provides higher actual break strength over theconventionally woven straps, Comparative Examples 1-3. However, asignificant and telling advantage of the triaxial braid of the InventiveExample is how much higher the break efficiency is over ComparativeExamples 1-3 (e.g., 95% vs. 68%). This improvement in efficiency in theInventive Example illustrates that the triaxial braid makes better useof the strength of each of the fibers employed in the strap. Thus, thevast improvement in efficiency makes for a stronger and less costlystrap.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples of the disclosurehas been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the formsdescribed. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the aboveteachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed and otherswill be understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments werechosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of thedisclosure and various embodiments as are suited to the particular usecontemplated. The scope of the disclosure is, of course, not limited tothe examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can be employed in anynumber of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skillin the art. Rather it is hereby intended the scope of the invention bedefined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A triaxially braided strap comprising: aplurality of axial strands; a first boundary strand; a second boundarystrand; a first interior longitudinal strand having a first upperportion and a first lower portion; and a second interior longitudinalstrand having a second upper portion and a second lower portion, each ofthe first boundary strand, the second boundary strand, the firstinterior longitudinal strand, and the second interior longitudinalstrand being substantially parallel to one another, wherein: each axialstrand of the plurality of axial strands is routed, in a repeatingpattern and in the following order: under the first interiorlongitudinal strand such that a portion of the axial strand is routedalong the first lower portion of the first longitudinal strand; betweenrespective portions of a first pair of the axial strands that are routedbetween the first interior longitudinal strand and the first boundarystrand; over the first boundary strand; around the first boundary strandto at least partially wrap the first boundary strand; between respectiveportions of a second pair of the axial strands that are routed betweenthe first boundary strand and the first interior longitudinal strand;over the first interior longitudinal strand such that a portion of theaxial strand is routed along the first upper portion of the firstlongitudinal strand; between respective portions of a third pair of theaxial strands that are routed between the first interior longitudinalstrand and the second interior longitudinal strand; under the secondinterior longitudinal strand such that a portion of the axial strand isrouted along the second lower portion of the second longitudinal strand;between respective portions of a fourth pair of the axial strands thatare routed between the second interior longitudinal strand and thesecond boundary strand; over the second boundary strand; around thesecond boundary strand to at least partially wrap the second boundarystrand; between respective portions of a fifth pair of the axial strandsthat are routed between the second boundary strand and the secondinterior longitudinal strand; over the second interior longitudinalstrand such that a portion of the axial strand is routed along thesecond upper portion of the second longitudinal strand; and betweenrespective portions of a sixth pair of the axial strands that are routedbetween the second interior longitudinal strand and the first interiorlongitudinal strand; wherein: the first interior longitudinal strand andthe second interior longitudinal strand are disposed between the firstboundary strand and the second boundary strand; the first boundarystrand and the second boundary strand are outermost longitudinalstrands; each portion of the axial strands that is routed along thefirst upper portion of the first longitudinal strand is substantiallyparallel with adjacent portions of the axial strands routed along thefirst upper portion of the first longitudinal strand; each portion ofthe axial strands that is routed along the first lower portion of thefirst longitudinal strand is substantially parallel with adjacentportions of the axial strands routed along the first lower portion ofthe first longitudinal strand; each portion of the axial strands that isrouted along the second upper portion of the second longitudinal strandis substantially parallel with adjacent portions of the axial strandsrouted along the second upper portion of the second longitudinal strand;and each portion of the axial strands that is routed along the secondlower portion of the second longitudinal strand is substantiallyparallel with adjacent portions of the axial strands routed along thesecond lower portion of the second longitudinal strand.
 2. Thetriaxially braided strap of claim 1 wherein: each portion of an axialstrand of the axial strands that is routed under and around the firstboundary strand overlaps a portion of an adjacent one of the axialstrands; and each portion of an axial strand of the axial strands thatis routed under and around the second boundary strand overlaps anotherportion of the adjacent axial one of the axial strands.
 3. Thetriaxially braided strap of claim 1 wherein: the first boundary strandhas a first diameter; the second boundary strand has a second diameter;the first interior longitudinal strand has a third diameter; and theratio of each of the first diameter and the second diameter to the thirddiameter is less than about 1:2.
 4. The triaxially braided strap ofclaim 1 wherein at least one of the first boundary strand, the secondboundary strand, the first interior longitudinal strand, and the secondinterior longitudinal strand is twisted by between about 3% and about5%.
 5. The triaxially braided strap of claim 1 wherein each of theplurality of axial strands has a tenacity value of less than about 15grams per denier and each of the first interior longitudinal strand, thesecond interior longitudinal strand, the first boundary strand, and thesecond boundary strand has a tenacity value of greater than or equal toabout 15 grams per denier.
 6. The triaxially braided strap of claim 5wherein each of the plurality of axial strands are formed of one or morepolyester fibers.
 7. The triaxially braided strap of claim 5 wherein atleast one of the first boundary strand, the second boundary strand, thefirst interior longitudinal strand, and the second interior longitudinalstrand is formed of one or more of an ultra-high molecular weightpolyethylene fiber and an aramid fiber.
 8. The triaxially braided strapof claim 7 wherein at least one of the first boundary strand, the secondboundary strand, the first interior longitudinal strand, and the secondinterior longitudinal strand is formed entirely of an ultra-highmolecular weight polyethylene fiber.
 9. The triaxially braided strap ofclaim 1 further comprising at least two additional interior longitudinalstrands disposed between the first interior longitudinal strand and thesecond interior longitudinal strand.
 10. The triaxially braided strap ofclaim 9 further comprises six interior longitudinal strands disposedbetween the first interior longitudinal strand and the second interiorlongitudinal strand.
 11. The triaxially braided strap of claim 1 whereineach of the first pair of axial strands, the second pair of axialstrands, and the third pair of axial strands are different from thefourth pair of axial strands, the fifth pair of axial strands, and thesixth pair of axial strands.
 12. A cargo net comprising the triaxiallybraided strap of claim 1.